08/22/2016

Recently I was chatting with long time BBF, Paul Chaney, about the changes in social media from the days when we began in what was then called The Blogosphere. Paul wondered if search on Twitter or Instagram could be a good business tool.

He kindly offered to share his views and research on Diva Marketing. How could I say no to such a generous offer? Hope you enjoy Paul's post.

First, About Paul Chaney.

Paul is an online marketing consultant, editor, writer, and author with more than 20 years experience in the digital marketing space.

He’s written four books that cover the topics of business blogging, social media marketing, and social commerce, the most notable of which is entitled "The Digital Handshake: Seven Proven Strategies to Grow Your Business Using Social Media," published by John Wiley and Sons in 2009.

He is currently a Staff Writer for Small Business Trendsand also maintains a client-base of small to mid-size companies. Paul is a sought-after speaker on digital and marketing topics. Oh yes, and he's an accomplished musician! Connect with Paul Chaney on Twitter | LinkedIn

Twitter Search or Instagram Search: Which is Better for Business? - By Paul Chaney

One of the ways I've benefitted most from my career in social media is the people I have met along the way, not the least of which is Toby. We're joined at the hip personally and professionally and have been for the better part of 12 years.

Another good friend — someone familiar to both Toby and me — is Bill Flitter, founder and CEO of dlvr.it, a content distribution platform.

Bill pioneered RSS advertising years ago and, despite his boyish good looks (which belie his clean Midwestern upbringing), is a long-time veteran of the social media marketing wars. (I'm sure he would show you his scars if you ask; or possibly not.)

Twitter Search or Instagram Search? That Is the Question

The reason I mention Bill is, recently, I was milling about on the dlvr.it blog when I came across a post about Twitter search and then another about Instagram search.

I can't tell you the last time I thought about either of the two platforms, at least in a search-related context — particularly Instagram, which I use to post images taken with my smartphone from time to time.

I also wondered why Bill and company would devote entire posts to the respective topics. There must have been a reason. My interest was piqued.

With Twitter's waning popularity, compared to Instagram's rise in prominence, I began to wonder which platform would serve a business better, from a search standpoint. As it turns out, that was Bill's premise, too.

With his permission, I pulled some information from each post, to evaluate their respective features and benefits and draw some conclusions.

Twitter Search

First of all, Twitter "Connect" (which you see referenced in the dlvr.it post) no longer exists. It was an experiment that failed, apparently, replaced by "Notifications."

Regardless, the real benefit to Twitter search for business lies in its "Advanced" feature, which allows more refined search capabilities, such as multiple search filters and operators.

(Note: You have to be logged in to gain access to advanced search, and it only works with the desktop version.)

To use advanced search, begin by entering a keyword in the search field located in the upper right-hand corner of the page. Let’s use “small business” as our example.

Twitter then redirects you to the search returns page. Click the “More Options” link in the menu bar. That opens a sub-menu. Look to the bottom and click “Advanced Search.”

As the following screenshot from the dlvr.it blog post illustrates, you can search by various parameters: words, people, places, dates, and even sentiment. Options exist under each category, to let you dig even deeper.

From the example, a pizza shop owner in San Jose, California can find Twitter users within a ten-mile radius who have pizza on the brain at a given moment.

This discovery enables the owner to join in the conversation, perhaps offering a time-sensitive discount tied to a hashtag. And that's only one of the many possibilities advanced search offers from a marketing perspective.

Others include:

Find mentions of your brand;

Surface all tweets from an event you attended;

Gather customer testimonials;

Monitor sentiment about a competitor's brand (or yours);

Find influencers or brand ambassadors;

Thank customers for doing business with you.

Truly, the list is as endless as your ability to come up with crafty ways to mine the treasure trove of data.

For more inspiration and ways to use advanced search, visit Twitter's support page on the topic.

Instagram Search

Where Twitter's advanced search gives users the ability to refine their efforts, Instagram restricts the search options on its app to Top, People, Tags, and Places.

Of the four, Tags is likely the best option because Instagram bases its platform on them. (Post an image or video without using a hashtag? Perish the thought!)

Perhaps the best way to use Instagram search is not to use it at all but rely on third-party tools such as Picodash, or my favorite, Iconosquare. Both are premium services but offer more advanced search capabilities than Instagram itself.

Despite the limited search functions, you can make a business case for Instagram.

You can use it to:

Find people to follow;

Find hashtags related to your business or industry;

Search by place for people to follow;

Engage with nearby customers;

Get involved in trending conversations.

In comparing the two platforms, Twitter provides a superior search experience in my view due to the many variables and operators. Instagram, however, offers a more serendipitous journey of discovery.

In either case, there's business value to be had — and that’s the main thing.

08/09/2016

Who remembers the Pets.com once famous icon? The world of the internet is one of here today and gone tomorrow.

Since Diva Marketing (Blog) launched in 2004, social media has gone through changes that have disrupted our digital experience. Long form text posts (blogs) have been joined by short form content that includes various forms of media from photos (Pinterest, Instagram) to video (Snapchat, Pericsope).

As the popularity for a new platform or feature becomes successful there is of course competition. In response to Twitter's Vine Video which began at 6 seconds -- Instagram offered a 15 second video option. Now Twitter is testing a 140 second video option for Vine. Back to Instagram which has released its own disappearing act a la Snapchat called Instagram Stories. Facebook Live Video competes with Pericsope.

I've mentioned only four platforms: Twitter/Vine, Instagram, Facebook, Periscope and Snapchat. If you're feeling overwhelmed, welcome to the club!

Over the course of the last 7 days I've been participating in Darren Rowse's #BloggerGroove Challenge. In addition to adding content to Diva Marketing and Diva Foodies (my relatively new food blog ~ check it out!) I've had the opportunity to read some great posts on a variety of topics.

Day #7 challenge was to write a link post. I am excited to introduce you (via the following links!) to a few talented social media/marketing bloggers who will shed some light on the Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram and of course blogs.

Snapchat - Even with Instagram in the game, don't expect Snapchat to exit the social media scene anytime soon. Brands have too much invest. Mel Kettle provides a Snapchat 101 in the post Snapchat for Beginners. Her how-to post takes you step-by-step in setting up your page. Mel details how to use, what is right now, the darling of social media.

Facebook - It's been around for what seems like forever and a day. The question is ~ are you using it to your best advantage as a business tactic? Sharon Luttrell'spost offers four tips that will help make your experience more productive and enjoyable. She looks at how to curate your feed, connecting with groups and even how to time manage and elimnate the negative.

Blogs - How could I write a blog post about social media tips without offering insights about blogging? No way. Let's jump over to Darren Rowse, ProBlogger, who has become the go-to-dude of blogging. I met Darren in the early days of the blogosphere. He is without a doubt one of the nicest and most generous people.

Darren's blog is a treasure chest of information about blogs, as well as social media. Warning! when you venture into ProBlogger be prepared to spend more than a few minutes. But you'll leave so much smarter.

08/07/2016

Max came into my life about 13 years ago. I wasn’t looking for him and the truth is I really didn’t want him. Nor did I think I needed him.

But some times life gives you unexpected, wonderful surprises.

Max turned out to be the best gift a client ever gave me. I just didn't know it at the time. When I first met Max he was a year old raggity rescue dog that my client Alf Nucifora insisted I take home “just to see.” Since no one says "no" to Alf, I took Max home for just a few days -- “just to see.”

That first night Max and I were invited to dinner at a friend’s where Max was of course the guest of honor. I asked seven year old Katie if I should keep the little pup. In the very serious way of a little girl who has been asked an important question by a grown-up, she nodded and said, “Yes. Now you won’t be alone.”

So I kept the funny, little, white Westie with the big brown eyes and black button nose who would bring laughter and joy into my life. The vet call Max the gentleist terrier she had ever met. Yes, I did fall in love with Max. But little did I know that Max was about to help me and change my life in more ways than I imagined.

In social media we talk a lot about “humanizing” content through personal experiences. Many people incorporate their kids and family. Some bloggers include their exciting travel experiences while others have a nack of inviting us into their day-to-day life.

For me that humanization was via Max. Max found his way into Diva Marketing posts. He was the catalyst to marketing and social media lessons from customer loyalty to experiments in video where Max became a bit of a YouTube Rock Star. Watch Best Friends Max The Dog and Tab The Cat!"I think everyone should have a best friend."

I had no idea to the extent readers of Diva Marketing were enjoying the Max posts and building a relationship with Max until I attended a BlogHer conference. A prominent blogger came running up to greet me and the first thing she asked about was Max. Not me. Not my blog. Not my experiences at the BlogHer event. I must admit I was thrown off and couldn’t fathom who she was talking about until I realized it as Max!

Max became sort of a social media mascot with a bit of a fan club. After reading so many social media books, Max even become social media savvy!

I think the authors I interviewed liked the photos of Max reading their reading their books more than my interviews with them! Author and social media expert Brian Solis asked for the photo of Max reading his book "Business As Usual" to drop on his Facebook page.

Max left my life last September. He was 14.5 years old. I didn’t know you could care so much about a little puppy. Needless to say I miss him every day. Please excuse the virtual tear drops.

“So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near-- Ah," said the fox, "I shall cry." It is your own fault," said the little prince. "I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you . . ." Yes, that is so," said the fox. But now you are going to cry!" said the little prince. Yes, that is so," said the fox. Then it has done you no good at all!" It has done me good," said the fox, "because of the color of the wheat fields.” ~ Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

This post was inspired from Darren Rowes, ProBlogger, #BloggingGroove Challenge to create a story post. Immediately I knew my story had to be about Max.

It's far too easy to get lost in the social media world where multiple paths intertwine and new shiny opportunties can take you into places that make no sense for your brand.

Let's put a business spin on it and call these paths "channels." As examples, in the digital/social media space channels would include: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, Periscope, YouTube and throw in blogs. It's enough to make even the most experienced digital marketer dizzy.

Add to that each channel has its own quirks, algorithums, audience. Add to that C-H-A-N-G-E-S. Add to that you must determine what resources (people, time, money) you can dedicate to explore and master new channels and updates.

Example. Just this week Instagram, the popular photo sharing platform, released an a la SnapChat feature.Instagram Stories will disappear in 24-hours. Oh no another thing to learn how to use and how to market! Note: Article comparing Instagram and Snapchat that might give you some insights.

A couple of "IF - Then What " questions that can and should be used with any new social media channel or feature you're considering investing in. Don't fool yourself. Each and everytime you commit to a social channel it becomes an investment and (hopefully!) an asset for your brand. There is no free!

If your customers love Instagram then will they love Instagram Stories?

If your customers are on Snapchat then will they stay on that channel?

If your customers love both Snapchat and Instagram Stories then what is your content game plan?

If you've built assets for Snapchat then how much more development and maintenance will you dedicate?

If you think your customers will migrate to Instagram Stories then what's your game plan?

If you're not sure if your customers will migrate to Instagram Stories then what's your game plan?

No wonder people get lost in the social media forest!

3 additional suggestions that may lessen the stress and even help you enjoy the journey!

Know where you're going, call it -- Definesuccess for you.

Understand how you're going to get there, call it -- Create a roadmap.

Build in time and resources to understand new channels and features call it -- Explore new paths.

Your turn! How do you navigate the ever changing world of social media?

08/03/2016

Sometimes life gets in the way of life. And too often life gets in the way of writing blog posts. Sorry Diva Marketing Blog that I've neglected you.

Over the next week Diva Marketing will get a boost of posts thanks to a blogger challenge from Darren Rowse of ProBlogger. Darren has challenged those in the blogging community, whos might have lost their groove a bit, to write 7 posts in 7 days based on a series of blog styles that he'll suggest. The first style is a List Post.

Show tunes often find their way into social media presentations and training I conduct. Music can bring a burst of energy and more than not people begin tapping to the beat. I thought, it might be fun to build a list post about blogging based on the lyrics from the musical theatre. Click on the links to see videos of the songs.

Tip: Build community. Blogs offer the opportunity for other people to come along with on your adventures. Creating blogs posts are often a solo undertaking. However, through comments (and other interactions e.g. email, even offline) with people who drop by your blog you can 'see the world' with other travelers.

Two drifters, off to see the worldThere's such a lot of world to seeWe're after the same rainbow's end, waitin' 'round the bendMy huckleberry friend, moon river, and me

Tip: Explore new ideas. As you build your blog you'll learn new things, be exposed to different ideas and meet interesting people many of whom will turn into "real" friendships. Your life will be the richer for the experience.

You simply won't believe how much

This book will change your life,This book will change your life,This book will change your life!

Tip: Be brave. Writing a blog or creating a podcast or video series is a brave undertaking. You're showing the world who you are through your writing style, thoughts, beliefs. Unlike a traditonal media column, even if your posts are business oriented, they mostly likely are not objective but represent your point of view. Some people will get you and some not so much. But that's okay.

Tip: Find your unique voice, niche and audience. Although the format of blogs has gone from text-orient to include photos blogs, podcasts, videos blogs changed the way we communicate and influence.

The blog was the start of a revolution and evolution on how we conduct business from sales to marketing to customer service to networking. The blog provided an entree for consumer journalism. The blog offered a way to for people to provide support for each other during difficult times.

In some form or shape blogs are here to stay... you can't stop the beat!